Leadership is doing the right things when no one's watching. Making the right choices every day, for yourself and for the people around you.
Bukayo Saka: Leadership Beyond the Spotlight
As we begin 2026, we turn to a voice that has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of immense public scrutiny. This week, we reflect on Arsenal and England footballer Bukayo Saka's insight into the daily practice of principled leadership.
Bukayo Saka: "Leadership is doing the right things when no one's watching. Making the right choices every day, for yourself and for the people around you."
Character Forged in Adversity
Bukayo Saka's words carry weight earned through experience. Following England's Euro 2020 final penalty miss, he faced a torrent of racist abuse that would have broken many. Yet Saka chose to respond not with bitterness but with dignity, using his platform to advocate against online hate and support young people facing similar challenges. His return to the pitch demonstrated what leadership looks like when the cameras are off: the quiet discipline of showing up, the deliberate choice to keep moving forward, the commitment to those who depend on you.
This quote speaks to something fundamental about integrity. True leadership is not performed for applause or recognition. It lives in the unglamorous moments: the training session when you're exhausted, the decision to support a teammate when it costs you nothing to stay silent, the choice to maintain your standards when shortcuts present themselves. Saka reminds us that character is built in private long before it is tested in public.
The Daily Discipline of Doing Right
Saka's insight aligns with the Laidlaw values of being #Good and #Brave, and the Oxford Character Project virtue of #Integrity. Good leadership means pursuing outcomes that serve others as well as yourself, even when no one is measuring your contribution. Brave leadership means choosing the harder right over the easier wrong, particularly when the stakes feel personal. Integrity means your private actions and public values remain aligned, creating the foundation for trust.
A Call to Reflect
We invite you to reflect on Bukayo Saka's words as we step into this new year. What "right thing" have you been postponing because it lacks immediate recognition or reward? Where in your research, Leadership in Action project, or daily interactions could you strengthen your practice of doing right when no one's watching?
Hi! I'm Amanda, a third year Neuroscience student and Laidlaw alum from UCL. I'm Swedish-Persian and grew up in Sweden before moving to London for uni. These days, alongside my studies, I work for the Foundation as a Marketing Assistant.
For my first year research project, I worked on optimising alginate hydrogels for 3D astrocyte culture systems. In simpler terms, I was figuring out the best way to prepare a jelly-like scaffolds so that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes could grow in three dimensions rather than flat on a dish. This matters because 3D environments mimic the brain more realistically, which could help researchers develop better treatments for neurological disorders!
For my Leadership-in-Action project, I co-created Beyond the Books, a resource designed to help students from underrepresented backgrounds navigate the unwritten rules of university life, from internships and networking to professional opportunities that aren't always obvious if you're the first in your family to go to uni.
Always happy to connect, whether you want to chat about neuroscience, widening access, the Laidlaw experience, or just say hello! One of my favourite things about this community is getting to meet people from different universities and backgrounds, so please do reach out! 🌟
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